The present invention relates to a system for transportation of persons/goods in elevator installations and/or on escalators, a method of operating such a system, a control device and a computer program product for commanding such a system.
Systems for the transportation of persons/goods in elevator installations and/or on escalators enable identification of persons/goods for transportation, as well as transportation controlled by this identification. European Patent Application EP 0 699 617, which represents the prior state of the art for the invention, discloses a device for commanding an elevator installation as means of transportation in which the elevator installation is commanded contactlessly by a person via an identification transmitter and a recognition device. The identification transmitter is borne by the person and transmits an identification code to the recognition device which is fixed in location. The recognition device recognizes the identification code and passes it on to a processing unit. The processing unit assigns to this recognized passed-on identification code a predefined desired travel destination, and transmits a corresponding control signal to the elevator installation. The elevator installation then transports the person identified in this manner automatically and without intervention of the person to the person""s destination.
It is desirable for the individual characteristics and needs of persons/goods for transportation in elevator installations and/or on escalators to be better recognized. Furthermore, it is desirable to better respect interactions between persons/goods for transportation. Finally, it is desirable better to recognize collective characteristics and needs of persons/goods for transportation.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a system for transporting persons/goods in elevator installations and/or on escalators, a method of operating such a system, a control device and a computer program product for commanding such a system, which fulfill the aforesaid desires.
The essence of the present invention is to transport persons/goods by elevator installations and/or on escalators in such manner that the transported persons, and/or persons requiring the goods to be transported, are satisfied in an outstanding manner. This is achieved by extensive configuration of a system for transportation of persons/goods.
xe2x80x9cExtensive configurationxe2x80x9d means that in a first step at least one user profile is created for persons/goods to be transported. There are different profiles:
a spatial user profile, or zone profile, where a spatial access authorization of the user in zones is defined; and/or
a temporal user profile, or period profile, where temporal rights of the user are defined in periods; and/or
a person/goods-specific user profile, or individual profile, where individual information about the user such as user name, office/floor, building/office number, telephone number, birthday, sex, weight, etc. are defined, and where also preferences of the user such as the type of news the user does or does not wish to receive in the means of transport, the type of music the user does or does not wish to receive in the means of transport, are defined; and/or
a group-specific user profile, or group profile, where information regarding priority when transporting the users, etc. is defined; and/or
a security-relevant user profile, or security profile, where information about security aspects of the user, such as a hazard/risk assessment (Does the person/goods item present a hazard? And if so, for which other persons/goods to be transported? Is the person/goods item exposed to hazards? And if so, what steps should be taken if an emergency occurs?) are defined.
These components, zone profile, period profile, individual profile, group profile, and security profile, of a user profile can be combined with each other in any manner.
xe2x80x9cExtensive configurationxe2x80x9d means further, that in a second step either one user profile is used as transportation profile, or at least two user profiles of persons/goods to be transported are linked together and thereby result in at least one situatively adapted transportation profile. Advantageously, user profiles of persons/goods to be transported are set in relation to at least one logical gate to produce a transportation profile.
In this manner, travel plans for the persons/goods to be transported can be easily and quickly assembled. At least one person/goods item to be transported is recognized by at least one recognition device via at least one identification code. This recognized identification code is passed on to at least one control device. Either at least one user profile of at least one person/goods item to be transported is made ready for each recognized identification code, or user profiles of at least two persons/items of goods to be transported are linked to form a transportation profile. At least one transportation means such as an elevator installation or an escalator or a door is commanded by the control device according to this transportation profile.
This extensive configuration of user profiles corresponds to a large extent with what is known from computer-aided network technology, where the rights of users in a network are administered and assigned by an administrator. Surprisingly, an application of this network administration has so far not been realized in systems for transportation of persons/goods.
There are several reasons for this:
One reason is that the wishes and needs of users of transportation means have so far not been clearly articulated, and/or the wishes and needs of the users of means of transportation have so far not been captured in an extensive configuration.
Another reason is that satisfaction of the wishes and needs of the users according to the present invention has not been technically possible, for example because no standard has established itself for the necessary identification codes and means of recognition, and/or because the computers and/or computer program products necessary for this purpose were insufficiently powerful and/or too expensive.
Finally, prejudice of experts in the field had to be overcome. The machine industry, which manufactures means of transportation, clung to its traditional technical areas and had restricted itself to producing and operating mechanically stable and inexpensive means of transportation. Until now, the machine industry had not set itself the task of the present invention. Until now, the machine industry had more or less ignored the wishes and needs of the users of means of transportation. Until now, the machine industry had also hardly, or not at all, concerned itself with the new technologies necessary for the solution of the invention such as identification codes and means of recognition, or with computers and computer program products.